


About Face

by Raiven_Raine



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Banter, Camaraderie, Character Development, Dick Jokes, Drinking, Drinking Games, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Hazing, Light Angst, Mild Language, Military, Pic-Prompt, Pro-Military
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 09:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8572678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiven_Raine/pseuds/Raiven_Raine
Summary: Cold steel, angry scowls, lousy hair cuts. All the touches I've come to expect from the Brotherhood. What I hadn’t expected was falling in love. I stepped onto the Brotherhood’s ship, the Prydwen, armed with a million questions and accusations aimed at the young tyrant and his soldiers. I had planned to expose him for what he really was. What I thought he was.
   - - - - - - - - 
Piper Wright is looking for the story of the century and opportunity doesn't only knock, but breaches her door weapons hot and shoves her into a world which she finds herself becoming addicted to.
   - - - - - - - - 
This fic was heavily inspired by the movie Whiskey Tango Foxtrot which was based off a book, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker.I took a few liberties with canon to suit my needs, but nothing outlandish. Strap on your helmet and OTV and enjoy the ride!
   - - - - - - - - 
**This fic is the NOVEMBER 2016 entry for LGA's 4 part photo-prompt contest on Tumblr!





	1. Warm Welcomes and Friendly Faces

**Author's Note:**

  * For [likegoodangels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likegoodangels/gifts).



>   
> 
> 
> **  
> **  
> **November 2016 Photo Prompt**  
>   
> 

  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

_Cold steel, angry scowls, lousy hair cuts. All the touches I've come to expect from the Brotherhood. What I hadn’t expected was falling in love. I stepped onto the Brotherhood’s ship, the Prydwen, armed with a million questions and accusations aimed at the young tyrant and his soldiers. I had planned to expose him for what he really was. What I thought he was._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

“Oh my God!” Piper grabbed Gavin by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him to a dead stop.

He glanced around the deck of the Prydwen. “What?”

She stared incredulously then made an exaggerated motion to a child who had walked past them to take an armful of gear from a nearby Lancer.

“What?” He repeated as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

“There are… _children_ here!” Piper tried to keep her voice down, but just couldn’t manage to curb her outrage, and she had an overabundance of outrage to curb. She held her camera up and snapped a couple of pictures of the kid speaking to the other soldier. This would make great headlines… _Child soldiers caught up in a crazy militant cult._

Gavin watched her for a moment then shook it off and shrugged, “he’s a squire.”

“That kid’s probably the same age as Nat…” She stared stupidly over the top of her camera as she imagined her sister wearing military clothes and holding a rifle. 

“Yeah…” Gav started walking again, “they start young. Ten is the min age, although most join a little older.”

They walked past the Lancer as she leaned against the railing of the catwalk eyeing the reporter suspiciously.

“Why would a ten-year-old child join the military? Why would _anyone_ join the military?” Piper glanced back over her shoulder, “what kind of whackjob would choose this life?”

The Lancer rolled her eyes and pushed away from the railing with a good measure of irritation. Piper watched her go then turned to Gavin.

“No offense, Blue…” 

He smirked and swept a hand to a stairwell to continue on with the tour.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

_Arthur Maxson. They call him Elder, but when I first met him all I could see was a very young boy king with more power than any one man should ever possess. I had heard he came into the position as a young teen, much like the fabled King Arthur, so I expected to be talking with some arrogant little man-child. He was anything but._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

Piper entered the command deck of the ship and saw him standing up front, leaning against the railing and looking out the large windows at the landscape far below.

Gavin stood with his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. “Sir, Piper Wright is here to speak with you.”

The Elder turned and looked her over, then gave the both of them one single curt nod. He swept a hand out to one of the couches off to the side and waited for Piper to seat herself before sitting on the other end. Gavin relaxed back on the couch on the other side of her and took on an uncaring nonchalant expression, which seemed to be his natural state of being.

“How was your tour, Miss Wright?” Maxson’s tone was quiet and even.

Piper rested her notebook on her thighs as she sat straight-backed and attentive… And more than a little nervous. The Elder, though very young, had a face hardened into a permanent scowl that could stop a rampaging deathclaw dead in its tracks. The wicked scar across his cheek only added to the intimidation factor.

“It was… Interesting.” She smiled. “Your ship…”

“The Prydwen.” Gavin said quietly.

“Yes, the Prydwen,” Piper nodded, “it’s amazing.”

“The Prydwen is a wonder. She took six years to build.” Though his perma-scowl mostly remained, a look of pride hinted just behind his icy eyes. Then it was back to business as he set the preamble aside. “I understand you wish to write an article about the Brotherhood of Steel and the motives behind our coming to the Commonwealth.”

“Yes,” she pointed her pen toward the Elder, “I hear you’ve come looking for the Institute, but you’ve stationed soldiers in towns and they’ve been viewed by some folks as a menace.” She set pen to paper. “Some could even say that what you’re doing here is oppressive. Taking food from farmers and implementing curfews in some towns seems a little, I don’t know… Dictatorial.” Growing more bold as anger welled up inside from the mere thought, Piper narrowed her eyes a little, “you say you’ve come in peace, but your intention is war; Anyone with this much firepower plans on using it, no matter what they claim. And you don’t answer to anyone… You play unrestricted judge, jury, and executioner. So tell me the truth, why are you _really_ here?”

The Elder gave a small shake of his head, “I am no stranger to propaganda, Miss Wright. From your perspective, it appears as though we are invading the Commonwealth and oppressing citizens. Uninformed individuals rely on hearsay. These words come from biased mouths and fall on biased ears. We are virtually unknown out here and these misconceptions have spread like a plague long before we started making plans to leave the Capital to fight against the Institute.” Maxson relaxed back against the couch and crossed an ankle over his thigh casually. “You hold many preconceived notions and you’re standing before me now asking me to answer only the questions you wish to know based on those very notions you hold. I could tell you exactly why I have soldiers occupying towns, but you seem hellbent on believing it to be some sort of nefarious hidden reason.”

Piper jotted some things down as he spoke then pointed the pen at him again, “okay, sure, the Brotherhood's a lesser evil, but that's still evil. I mean… You have _little kids_ on your ship for God’s sake! I just think everyone out there deserves to know what’s going on. If you aren’t really a militarized tyrannical cult, then tell me so I have it right.”

He gave her a small nod then cocked his chin, “your feelings toward us are quite apparent, miss Wright, and I doubt your story would do anything to help repair the bad reputation circulating around the Commonwealth; What you write will undoubtedly gravitate toward your own agenda. I feel as though you would demonize the Brotherhood as a whole if you walk out of here with a handful of quotes and short interviews with my soldiers for a little news story, even if that is not your full intention.”

Gavin shrugged, “it’ll take more than a few questions put to soldiers to really understand anything we’re doing. You can’t even begin to comprehend the answers you want until you’ve walked a mile in our boots.”

Maxson furrowed his brow in thought for a moment then gave a small nod of his head, “I understand you’ve made plans to spend two or three days with us here at the airport, but perhaps you might consider remaining with the troops for a longer period of time. Accompany a detachment out in the Commonwealth to witness our operations first hand.”

Piper gave an enthusiastic nod, “that would be perfect! Thank you for this opportunity.”

He nodded again then looked around her at Gavin. “Knight, you will be charged with the safety and well-being of this embed for the duration.”

Gavin paused, looked at Piper, then back to Maxson. “Understood, Sir.”

She smiled over her shoulder at him, “my own personal bodyguard.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

_When I had initially agreed to running around the Commonwealth with a group of soldiers on parade, I was excited to be able to dig up dirt on what they were doing. Let the skeletons tumble out of their closet. It didn’t hit me until much later on that this wasn’t going to be a simple day at the park; What I would experience would be far from fun and games._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

“I have to wear this stuff?” Piper held up a pair of tan camouflage pants, made a face, then dropped them onto the bed with the rest of the uniform.

Gavin stood in the doorway of the room she had been granted as a guest and he gave a little shoulder shrug, “Can’t run around in your civvies… As cute and fashionable as they are.” He grinned.

Piper glanced down at herself for a moment. Was that a compliment on her looks or just an offhanded snide remark? She sighed and picked up the pants once more to look them over.

“Need help?” He raised an eyebrow, grin remaining firmly in place.

“No!” She clutched the pants to her chest and stared at him incredulously. 

Another shrug, “suit yourself.” He winked and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Piper stared at the door for a moment. _Was he flirting with her?_ She had to admit, Gavin was attractive and she’d always liked him since the moment she had met him… But she would die before sleeping with a soldier. 

_Not gunna happen._  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

After some time, Piper had figured the clothes out. It had occurred to her, at one point while fidgeting with straps, that Gavin’s comment might have been genuine. She felt like a baby trying to work an outfit for the first time. _It shouldn’t have been difficult!_

She timidly opened the door and peered out. Blue was long gone. Probably for the better since, if he had remained outside, she would have opened the door to find him smirking at her. Was she allowed to punch her bodyguard?

One great thing about the military outfit, _fatigues,_ as they called them, was that it had about a million pockets. You can never have too many pockets. Tan, however, was not her color. And the camouflage design on the pants? Just terrible. 

Maxson had given her free reign through his ship and made an announcement to the crew that she was allowed to poke around as much as she wanted. _This was going to be an easy story._

She took the long way to the place they ate, mostly because she got lost. How she wound up lost on a ship composed of open catwalks and stairs had to be some sort of talent. Piper recalled some sketches in a book by an artist named Escher… Yeah, the Prydwen was like that. 

She attempted to question a couple of soldiers as she went, but they all had told her that they were busy and waved her off. One such soldier was ‘busy’ sitting at a table playing solitaire. Another had been cleaning a weapon. One soldier was sitting on a crate doing absolutely nothing at all. 

Piper was no stranger to folks not wanting to talk to her, but these soldiers were taking it to a whole new level. _What were they hiding?_

She entered the… _Mess hall…_ with a friendly smile and gathered up a tray of food. Noodles and a snack cake… Not bad. She turned to find a place to sit and scanned over the occupied tables. The soldiers were all casting sideways glances at her. That was to be expected, she supposed. 

Smiling brightly, Piper took a seat at a table with a few others. As soon as she set her tray down, they all stood up and left. _Rude._ Her smile faded and she slowly sat down to eat. Alone. 

Until Gavin appeared. 

He straddled the bench seat next to her as he unwrapped a cake. “Hey, Pip. See you figured the clothes out.” He flashed a grin as he took a bite.

“Yeah… Thanks.” She snorted softly, twirling noodles on her fork idly. “Hey, can I interview you?” She wasn’t getting anything from the others, she figured Blue would be an easy interview.

“Well, you could…” He shrugged, “but I haven’t been in the Brotherhood long enough to know much.”

“Yeah, but you have to know a lot about the missions and intentions and--”

He cut her off with a laugh and a shake of his head, “I’m just a grunt, Pip… I don’t get paid enough to know what’s going on around here. Danse points and I shoot things.”

Her shoulders slumped a little and he gave her a pat on the back. 

“You’ll get your story along the road.” His smile was genuine.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Gavin had told her several times to go to bed, but she just couldn’t sleep. Piper stayed up late scribbling down notes and questions, going so far as to outline her story and begin writing. Or, she tried to write the beginning, rather.

 _‘Brotherhood of Steel - Helpful or Harmful?’_ She scratched that one out.

 _‘Soldiers of Fortune?’_ Crossed out.

 _‘Batshit Insane Cult of Oppressive Dictators!’_ Piper scribbled that one out until it was a blackened mess.

After hours of writer’s block and some anxiety, she finally laid down to go to sleep. The bed was only a scant more comfortable than the floor would have been, but at least there were blankets. One blanket. An itchy green blanket made out of who knew what. Cactus, probably. 

And then, after a mere handful of sketchy sleep hours on the hard-as-steel bed, there was a knock at her door.

Piper groggily sat up and pulled the cactus blanket to her chest. “Who is it?”

The door opened and Gavin popped his smiling face inside the room, flicking on the lights unceremoniously. “Friendly wake-up call.”

She flinched from the sudden bright illumination flooding the small room. “Ugh… Already? What time is it?”

He stepped inside and shrugged, “Four o’clock.” His smile turned into a smirk, “told ya we get up early.”

“This isn’t _‘early’..._ ” She protested, “this is insanity!”

He gave a nod, “Yup. See you on the flight deck in fifteen.”

She blinked after him then threw the covers off and scrambled to get ready. _Fifteen minutes?!_ She brushed the knots from her hair haphazardly then decided to pull the uncooperative locks back into a ponytail. She shoved everything off the small desk into her backpack and trotted out to the flight deck, getting only momentarily lost this time.

When she arrived, her boots were still unlaced and she had a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. And she was late. 

A soldier sighed at her before climbing into an aircraft, “glad you could make it, pogue.” 

The reporter slowly pulled the toothbrush from her mouth and scowled at the woman. Piper was not a morning person. Not that this ungodly hour should ever be considered ‘morning’... Nobody should ever be up and doing things before the sun came up. At least, not without an entire bucket full of coffee. With milk and sugar.

Did they have coffee?!

Maxson was there. He had been talking to Gavin when she stepped up a little sheepishly. She was only five minutes late! She found out later that she was actually ten minutes early. The military were sticklers for time.

“I hope you slept well, Miss Wright.” The Elder nodded to her. “You have a full day ahead of you.” 

“Slept like a baby.” She smiled. She did sleep like a baby in that she was awake every two hours and hungry. Didn’t they believe in midnight snacks? And two AM snacks… And four… and just snacks in general. Luckily, she had a supply of treats in her bag. She’d have to ration them diligently if this was going to be a normal thing.

Gavin swept an arm out to the vertibird and Piper smiled at him, setting a foot on one of the metal ladder bars. Then Maxson stopped her.

“Before you go…” He held a hand out to her, “please relinquish your roll of film from the Prydwen.”

She stared at him and lowered her foot back down onto the deck. “My film?” All those great pictures she had taken of the little kids… All the weapons they had in storage…

“Yes. If you will.” His hand remained outstretched and the look in those cold blue eyes was dead serious.

“Um… Okay…” She set her bag down in the door of the aircraft and pulled her camera case out, then reluctantly rolled the film up and popped it out. She snapped the lid on the case of the roll and held onto it tightly for a moment before finally placing it in his hand. Thought he said they had nothing to hide? Why was he taking her film?! This was definitely going into her story somewhere. 

He pocketed the canister, nodded, then stepped away without another word.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

_I didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes from the soldiers. They seem to have a different way of life. They speak different, follow a different set of life-rules. They call one another ‘Brother’ and ‘Sister’ and, at first, I thought it quite cultish. After spending some time with them it became clear to me-- They were one large family and acted just like siblings. Playful arm punching as they joke to one another, fighting over treats, vulgar terms of endearment; Standard brother and sister behavior. It quickly became clear to me that they weren’t going to open up to me because I was an outsider._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

Piper climbed out of the vertibird and spread her arms, “the mystery. The intrigue. The airport. Hard to believe a place this vast was essentially a glorified bus terminal.”

She followed Gavin out to the tarmac where she was introduced to Paladin Danse and some of his soldiers. These men and women would be some of her camping buddies for the duration of her little outing and she planned on getting full stories. No holds barred. Piper wanted to know why they joined the Brotherhood of Loose Screws and was determined to find out every little dirty detail of what they were doing out in the Commonwealth.

“Knights Aleski, Rhys, Crewe, Bailey and Scribe Haylen.” He motioned to each in turn. 

Piper gave a little finger wave to the group then jotted their names on her notepad.

Danse turned to the group and swept a hand to Piper, “this is Miss Wright and she will be our embed for a few weeks. Elder Maxson has made it clear you are all to treat her well and allow her to do her job without hindrance.” He gave her a small glance and added, “we have nothing to hide.”

Gavin raised an eyebrow at the soldiers. “So play nice, kids.” 

Piper smiled at Gavin then sidled up closer to him. In a world full of dirty looks, his easy smile was a safe haven. 

The soldiers dispersed from the group without saying anything to Piper, aside from Scribe Haylen who smiled and waved before she wandered away. There’s where she’d start her interviews. 

The Scribe had seemed amiable so Piper found herself searching her out after a while. 

“What does a Scribe do?” The reporter spoke in a friendly tone as she shadowed Haylen around while she worked at sorting supplies in the airport storage room.

“Actually,” Haylen used a crowbar to pop the top off a crate, “the rank speaks for itself.”

“It’s a rank? Not a title?” Piper scratched some notes down.

“It’s both. The brotherhood is broken down into different units who specialize in doing different tasks. Lancers are pilots, Knights are ground troops, Scribes are record keepers… For the most part.” She rummaged around the crate and pulled out a few items, “then you have Proctors and Paladins and--”

“Haylen.” Rhys called to the Scribe from a distance.

That man wore a permanent scowl and his immediate look of disdain when she met him proved he _\--really--_ didn’t like the reporter. And, apparently, he didn’t want anyone talking to her. Haylen excused herself from the conversation when he beckoned her over and Piper dropped her hands with a sigh. Maybe later.

She wandered the airport some more to find her next target.

Gavin had made mention of some of their first names after she asked him. Using last names seemed impersonal to her. Gather more flies with honey, as the old expression went. Of course, the expression was aimed at houseflies and she was dealing with vicious bloatflies now. 

“Excuse me, Jordyn, is it? Do you have a moment?” Piper tapped the end of her pen against her notebook.

She turned to the reporter and looked her up and down with a raised eyebrow, then turned back to sorting her bag. “It’s Aleski.” 

Her tone remained somewhat pleasant, more amused than anything, so Piper smiled and continued, “I’d like to ask you some questions about Arthur Maxson.”

The Knight stuffed some items in her pack and nodded, “Maxson, huh?” She paused and turned to the reporter, “I don’t think I’m permitted to answer questions about the Elder at this time.” She tapped a finger against her lips in thought then pointed to Piper with a grin, “but you know… You might wanna find Lancer Lucci, she’s really close with Maxson.” She winked, “if you know what I mean.” 

“Oh!” Piper got a little excited at the prospect, “she sounds like exactly the person I want to talk to!”

Aleski chuckled, “oh yeah, she is most definitely the person you should go interview.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

“Jessica Lucci, right?” Piper flipped open her notebook and pointed a pen at the Lancer.

She pulled her vest on with minor irritation and turned to the reporter. “Lucky.”

“Lucky?” Her pen paused against the paper.

“Yeah. Lucky.” The Lancer held her helmet up and ran her finger under the nickname she had scrawled across the side in big black letters.

“Ohh kay…” Piper took a few notes. “Is there a story behind that nickname?”

“Yup.” She strapped her helmet on and said nothing else. 

Piper frowned and stared after her as she walked away. “Wait…” She trotted to catch up, “I wanted to ask you a few questions about Arthur Maxson.”

“I know.” Lucci didn’t slow her stride as she made her way to the vertibird.

Piper started to get a little frustrated. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes a little, “you’re sleeping with him, aren’t you?”

Lucky paused at the door of her aircraft, glanced over her shoulder then finally turned to face her. “Yeah.”

“So you’d have a pretty good idea of what he’s all about. Why he’s really here.” When the Lancer stayed where she was, Piper got more excited and put pen to paper once more. “So tell me why he has soldiers occupying towns and oppressing citizens… And what of the Brotherhood’s tendency to steal technology?” She shook her head with more than a little disgust, “and how can he justify making children join up?” 

She closed her eyes and took a couple of breaths then suddenly smiled at the reporter. “Okay, fine.” Lucky pat her hands over her pockets and frowned, “shit. I forgot the keys to the bird.” She pointed a finger at Piper and gave another smile, “how ‘bout this… You go fetch my keys and I’ll give you a statement or whatever.”

Piper slowly lowered her notepad. “Okay… Deal. Where are they?” She was finally going to get something out of one of these soldiers. 

“Ah…” She pointed into the airport proper, “just go in there and ask anyone. Tell ‘em you’re looking for my keys and they’ll point you in the right direction.” Lucky casually leaned back against her bird and folded her arms, waiting for Piper to go. 

She hesitated for a moment then turned and trotted off into the airport. It was about time someone was willing to talk to her. After spending the better part of the, insanely early, morning trying to talk to several people, the breakthrough excited the reporter beyond belief.

Piper approached the first person she saw, a woman with a clipboard sorting through shelves of items. 

“Excuse me.” She tapped her on the shoulder. “I was sent in to grab some keys for Jessica.”

The soldier looked Piper up and down for a moment then tapped her pen to her lips in thought. “Jessica? Hm… I’m not sure… Crewe might know.” She pointed the pen toward the other side of the storage room and smiled. 

“Thank you.” 

“Of course.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Lucky is always forgetting those damn keys.” 

Piper had been pointed to a couple other people before she threw her hands up in frustration. Danse casually approached her with Gavin shadowing at his side.

“Is there a problem, miss Wright?” The Paladin raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes. I would like a word with Jessica Lucci, but she won’t give a statement until I find her keys and I’ve been all over this place--”

Gavin snickered. 

“What?” Piper furrowed her brow at him.

Danse shook his head at her, “vertibirds don’t require keys.”

Behind her, Crewe started laughing, “you find that snipe yet, FH Wright?”

She balled her fists at her sides and muttered, “you have got to be kidding me…” Piper huffed and stalked outside to the back of the airport to find the Lancer. 

The vertibird was just lifting off when Piper stomped out to the landing. She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled up at her, “hey! Give me your statement!” There were a few things she _\--wanted--_ to yell at the Lancer, but refrained.

Lucky leaned to the window, smirked, then flipped her off before leaving. 

Piper crossed her arms and glared after the aircraft as Gavin stepped up beside her.

He watched the bird disappear over the wall and turned his head to the reporter with a grin. “You aren’t going to get anything from Jess.”

“Oh, yes I will.” Piper flashed him a smug look. “I always get my story… Just a matter of time.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper hiked her backpack up on one shoulder as she watched the soldiers in the store room prepping their gear. They had spent a good chunk of time standing around then some more time milling about and gathering items. Piper felt as though she could have been able to get at least three more hours of sleep before they actually had to leave. Blue had told her that it was called _‘hurry up and wait’_... That was ridiculously accurate and seemed silly to her. Forced out of bed at the ass-crack of dawn to stand around? These people really were crazy.

They did have coffee, however. Terrible coffee. No milk and no sugar. How did these guys function?!

“We’re walking?” She frowned. “Why don’t we just fly to your little camp?”

Gavin turned a pistol over in his hands to look it over then slid it in his thigh holster and shrugged, “hm… Good idea. Go ask Jess for a lift.”

She rolled her eyes.

Someone came up from behind and pulled her bag off and she spun around to see Bailey tossing it to Crewe.

“Hey! Careful!” Piper took a step and Bailey put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“You can’t bring that bright-ass red bag outside the wire.” He pointed at the pack Crewe was wrinkling his nose at.

“I need that!” She scowled at them. “It has all my stuff--”

Crewe shoved the bag back at her and pointed sternly, “if you want it, you better un-fuck it mo’ riki-tik.” 

Piper held the bag awkwardly in her arms as the pair of them walked away. She looked at the bag then to Gavin.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“I’ll un-fuck it…” He held a hand out for the pack and grinned, “riki-tik.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****


	2. Cookie Crumbs

  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper sat down on a fallen tree as the soldiers took a break from their trek. She stared down at her helmet in her hands. After she had misplaced it several times at the airport, they had written her last name on a green sticker and put it on the back. And then someone, at some point, had placed another little sticker in front of it that had the letters FH written on it. _FH Wright._

Gavin sat down beside her and leaned his rifle against the tree next to him as he relaxed. “You need to keep your helmet on.” 

She sighed and strapped it on once more. “What is ‘FH’?”

Gav hesitated. “Don’t worry about it.” He handed her a tightly sealed package of something she presumed to be food. “Breakfast is served.” He grinned.

She fumbled with the packaging for a moment before he took it from her and opened it, handing it back. 

“Thanks… What is this?” She poked a finger at the dried contents. It most certainly did not look like food.

“It’s an MRE.” He shrugged. “Meal ready to eat… Although it could be argued that the acronym stands for ‘meal refused by everyone’ or ‘meal refusing to exist’... The three lies; They aren’t meals, they aren’t ready and they most definitely are not edible.” He chuckled as she took a bite and made a face. “Better if you can mix them with things.”

Piper sighed at the ‘food’ and set it down in her lap as she watched soldiers milling about or sitting. Some of them remained vigilant on guard for those resting. Some of the sitting soldiers were laughing and talking in a group. 

“Why don’t they like me?” She wrinkled her nose and turned to Gavin, “I mean, not that I really care or anything. Not like I started the paper to make friends. I just wanted to right the things I thought were wrong...”

He made a small motion with his hand to the soldiers, “they’ve dealt with embeds before… And it isn’t always good for the Brotherhood.” He paused. “You know, there’s a lot of power in the words you choose to write. With one little misguided article or a few out of context quotes and pictures, you can turn an entire populace against them. And these guys… They aren’t so thrilled by your attitude.” 

“Well, that’s why I’m out here, isn’t it?” She offered a smile. “I want to write the truth, good and bad.”

“Honorable.” He nodded.

“So, they should like me. Or at least show me their better side.”

“Mm…” Another nod, “You’re still an outsider on top of all the other shit. Until you fit in a little better and learn more of their ways, I don’t think they’re going to warm up to you anytime soon.”

Piper shrugged, “Well, it makes my job harder, but I’ll manage… I always do.” She laid her head on his shoulder for a moment as a hug. “You know, Blue, you’re my only friend.” 

He smiled down at her. “Means a lot, Pip.”

“So…” She grinned at him, “as a friend… You should tell me what the FH stands for.”

Two soldiers Piper had been introduced to earlier as Jacobs and Telly paused in front of her. 

Telly pointed down at the reporter. “Fucking Harald.”

His companion shook his head. “Female Hottie.”

The first chuckled, “Fucking Hotshit…”

“Future Headwound?” Jacobs laughed.

“Oh, I like that one!” Telly nudged him with an elbow.

Piper crossed her arms. “Funny.”

Bailey knocked his knuckles against Telly’s helmet as he walked past and pointed down the road. “Time to un-ass from this picnic.”

Piper frowned at Gavin as he stood and collected up his rifle. That break couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. She liked to think she was in pretty good shape… But she’d never walked this much in her life. And it wasn’t even noon yet. With a sigh she stood and picked up her back pack, frowning at it briefly before hiking it up over her shoulders. 

Gavin had ‘un-fucked’ it by spray painting the entire thing tan and black. Spray paint! The smell alone was dizzying. That stench would probably never fade and her bag would never be the same again. They had no idea what she’d gone through to get that pack. 

Another sigh and she started off after the others once more.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - -

****

“Where is your OTV?” Jacobs pointed sternly at Piper as she passed him.

She furrowed her brow, “OTV?”

Gavin, who had left her to walk beside Danse up front for a while, casually approached them. “Your vest.” 

Piper glanced down at herself then shrugged, “it was hot and bulky--”

“Are you fucking serious?!” Jacobs narrowed his eyes at her then turned to Gav, “do your job, get on her ass and stay there.”

“Ride her ass. Got it.” He grinned impishly at Piper. 

She blushed lightly at the twinkle in his eyes, then hid it behind a scowl as she watched Jacobs walk away. 

“As much as I approve of you taking your clothes off-- Hey… What’s that?” Gav pointed to her hand.

Piper stared at him for a moment, blinking stupidly at his words, then suddenly looked down at the sugary snack in her hand. 

“Oh… Want one? These have literally saved my life in the past.” She swung her _\--spray painted--_ bag down and knelt beside it, pulling the vest from the top then digging around for a treat. 

His boyish smile made his blue eyes sparkle as she handed him a wrapped cookie. He looked like a little kid on Christmas as he unwrapped it. Well, he was ridiculously easy to please, it seemed. She smiled at him as she put the stupid OTV back on. 

Someone spoke from behind her, “What’s that?”

She turned to see Crewe pointing at Gavin’s treat.

Gav held the remaining half up and spoke around his bite, “Pip has pogey bait.”

“That make you a pogey?” Crewe reached out to snatch the cookie from Gavin’s hand and just missed when Gav pulled away.

“You can call me whatever you want… So long as I get cookies.” He slapped the Knight’s hand away.

And just like that, the two of them transformed into children. _Brothers, to be certain._

Piper held out another cookie toward Crewe, “I have more…” If it was referred to as ‘bait’ then she was damn sure going to try and use it as such.

He smiled and reached out to take the cookie and she pulled it back, “how about I give you this treat and you talk with me while you eat it?”

He hesitated then shrugged and took the bait. 

Crewe unwrapped the cookie as they started walking again and Piper got her notebook out. She flipped to a clean page and grinned at him, “okay so--”

He shoved the entire cookie in his mouth, gave her a mock salute and walked on ahead without a word.

Beside her, Gavin laughed.

“These guys are impossible!” Piper scowled as she watched Crewe walking away. 

“May I have one?” Bailey appeared beside her.

Piper narrowed her eyes at him.

“No tricks. I’ll talk to you.” He smiled and held a hand out.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper wrote a few more things in her notebook then her pen paused. She watched the soldiers up ahead for a moment then turned her attention back to Bailey. “Why’d you join?”

“Me?” He shrugged, “nothing better to do.” 

She eyed him skeptically, “really?”

“Sure, why not?” He raised an eyebrow at her and changed the subject, “thought you wanted to know about Maxson and our hostile CW takeover?” 

Piper stared down at her paper. Like Aleski, Bailey had told her he wasn’t permitted to answer questions about the Elder right now, but he was telling her more about the Brotherhood in general. He had sorted out several acronyms she had been confused about. Piper felt like she needed an interpreter half the time. What language did these guys even speak?!

“Suppose I should get to know the men and women behind the takeover, right?” She smirked at him and he chuckled.

“Guess so, seeing as how we’ll be your new tyrannical leaders and all.” He smirked back.

“One thing I gotta know…” She wrinkled her nose at her notes, “what the heck does FH stand for?” 

Bailey glanced over at Gavin on her other side then shrugged, “FH is a--”

One of the scouting soldiers ran past them and Bailey sidestepped out of his way. The young Knight trotted over to Danse up front and pointed off to the side.

“Sir, there’s a situation…”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****


	3. It Is What It Is

  
  
  
  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

_Who would have ever thought I could discover such a deep and profound sense of honesty as to the state of the world and insight into the heart of the Brotherhood in a mess of blood-stained dirt. In the ashes and rubble of homes and the scarlet speckled fields that once held crops, children played. Right after a great loss, mourning and recovery blur into one out in the wastes because tragedy is so common. The little settlements that dot the landscape of the Commonwealth are open targets for any threat. There is nobody to protect these people or help them up once they are pounded down into the dirt._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

“All those people…” Piper stood on the edge of the settlement staring blankly at the scene.

Raiders had recently shown up and laid waste to the place. Though the bodies were gone, large blood stains spotted the dirt road and burned farmland. The raid must have only happened in the past few days. 

And now, there were children playing a game in a nearby pile of rubble that was once a house. Bile quickly rose in the pit of her stomach as if she were falling from a tower. Violence wasn’t unusual, but the sudden realization that this was so normal for these children that they moved right on to playing in the blood-stained rubble… 

Piper stepped up beside Gavin, pressing her arm against his just for the warm comfort of his presence. What must it have been like before the war? She’d read old news articles, countless stories and biographies… It shouldn’t be like this. Someone should help and protect all the people out in the wastelands. Diamond City is such a safe place with its high walls that those inside often forget just how awful things are for those who live outside. 

She swung her pack off her arm and knelt down to grab her camera case out. This was the story. A part of it. People needed to know and be reminded about this sort of travesty. These outlying villages and their troubles outside the wall.

As she stepped over rubble snapping pictures, Danse lined soldiers out in the street. They spoke with some of the settlers about what had happened and then Piper gave pause for a moment when the Paladin started issuing orders to them… To start a cleanup. 

Piper took a few pictures of Danse surrounded by the Knights and Scribes as he pointed out orders. She started following them around and, over the course of a few hours, got pictures of soldiers repairing fences, helping people with their broken homes, and digging graves as they waited for a supply drop. 

She approached Crewe as he leaned on a fence post, resting as he drank some water. 

“May I?” She held the camera up.

“Sure.” He shrugged and twisted the cap back on his canteen. “I like you a lot better when you’re not trying to screw us over.” He flashed a smile. 

The smile was actually genuine. Piper smiled back as she snapped some pictures of the Knight repairing the fence. She thought back to what Blue had told her about the Brotherhood dealing with embeds in the past. They must have been really bad to make these guys so guarded. She didn’t want to be like that.

_Truth._  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - -

****

One of the two Lancers who had come by with care packages was Jessica. Piper scowled at her from across the field as she watched Knights unloading crates of supplies for the settlers. She would get an interview with that woman if it killed her.

Piper worked to wipe the irritation from her face as she approached the vertibird. “Jessi-- Um, Lucky.” She clutched her camera in front of her chest. “Do you have a moment for that interview?”

The Lancer didn’t even look at her as she pulled a heavy canvas sack to the edge of the doorway. “Pretty sure I already gave you my statement.”

Piper clenched her jaw for a moment, working extra hard to remain friendly. “And it was noted.” 

“Ah, good… I’d hate to have to repeat myself.” Lucky smirked over her shoulder. 

Piper clenched her jaw then let her camera rest against her on the strap as she stepped up and helped the small Lancer heft the sack out of the aircraft. “I just want to know a little about your Elder. What’s he like?” _Flies with honey._

“No you don’t. You think you’re gunna uncover some crazy scandal involving him and if you can’t find one you’ll make one up… Even if you don’t do it on purpose. Your fucking ignorance is a dangerous weapon and I’ll be damned if I allow you to misquote me in your attack against Arthur.” She glared up at the reporter.

“That’s why I’m out here!” Piper was losing her composure. She wrestled it down and motioned to the settlement behind her, “what you guys are doing here… This is amazing.”

The Lancer gave pause. “Yeah… It is.” She tilted her head slightly with a look of skepticism plastered across her face. “So. What sort of questions did you wanna ask me?”

The reporter perked up and grabbed her notebook, pulling a pen from her glove, “where did these supplies come from? The food... Did Maxson commandeer it from other settlements? I mean, it’s great that it’s helping these folks out, but what about the people it comes from? Are they willing--”

“Okay.” Lucky put a hand out to stop her excited rambling, “I have to take a piss. Gimme a minute…” She stepped past Piper toward the town and the reporter trotted after her.

No way she was going to trick her and get away this time.

Piper stood outside the bathroom door in the house, pacing back and forth anxiously as she scribbled down questions she wanted to ask Jessica. There were so many. She paused mid-step and frowned at the door. 

“You get lost in there?” She knocked lightly. 

No answer. 

“What are you doing?” Gavin startled her as he appeared behind.

“Oh! Jessica--”

“Lucky.” He corrected.

“Um, yes, Lucky… She’s going to talk to me. Told you I always get my story!” She grinned smugly. 

“She tell you she had to take a piss?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets casually and motioned with his head to the bathroom door in question.

Piper’s grin slowly faded, “yes…”

Gavin chuckled, “yeah… She’s gone.”

“No!” Piper flung the bathroom door open and stared at the open window and the empty field beyond where her aircraft had been.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - -

****

Piper helped hand food and water out to the settlers then took a small break with a sugary snack from her bag. As soon as she unwrapped the cake, a small child tugged on her vest.

She smiled down at the kid. 

The little girl pointed up at Piper’s treat with a hopeful look on her dirty little face. 

Piper sighed then handed it over. The little girl reminded her of Nat and she just couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Did she lose someone in the raider attack? 

“Thanks, ma’am.” The child gave her a wide gap-toothed grin then took a large bite of the cake. “You guys gunna kill the raiders?” Her words were muffled by snack cake. 

“Kill?” Piper made a face, “I don’t think--”

The little girl greedily finished the treat and started poking around Piper’s vest inquisitively. “Mom says you Brotherhood guys are real tough. Probably kill a lotta raiders. How many raiders you kill?” She peered inside one of the million pockets on the OTV as she continued to ramble, “Milly’s dad says you guys just wanna bully everyone an’ steal all our stuff… Is your boss really a King?”

Piper redirected her exploring hands from her ammunition and frowned for a moment at the words. “That’s not true.” She took a piece of bubblegum from her pocket and handed it to the girl to keep her hands busy and maybe her mouth quiet. “The Brotherhood of Steel is here to help you... We don’t-- They aren’t going to steal your stuff… And Maxson isn’t a King, he’s just a regular guy trying to right some wrongs as best he can.”

How about that. Piper startled herself by her own words. 

Another young child squatted down next to Piper’s bag. “Why’s your packpack pain’ed?” He poked at it. “Smells stupid.”

“Because my friend has a weird sense of humor…” Piper made a face at Gavin across the street from her. 

She handed the other two children some gum to stop their poking around and questioning. It had always worked with Nat, seemed to work with these kids. For a moment.

Piper motioned to Danse as he gathered soldiers around him. “I gotta go, how about you little terrors go play some tag or something…” She smiled as she ruffled the little girl’s hair.

One of the little boys smacked the girl on the arm and ran away yelling ‘tag you’re it!’ And the girl trotted away a few feet then turned to Piper and waved, “Thanks, bubblegum Knight!”

Piper shook her head and called after the retreating child, “I’m not a--” She sighed, picked up her bag, and approached the Paladin and his group.

Danse was just finishing up a quick round of orders which placed Knights Rhys, Telly, and Stevens in the town as an occupying detachment from their group. The three soldiers were to remain in the town for a while and continue to help rebuild and, also, hunt down the group of raiders responsible for the attack. 

Piper cringed when the Paladin told Rhys to implement a curfew while the settlement was vulnerable. This was the very thing she’d thought was a problem. What she _\--heard--_ was a problem. _Biased words on biased ears._ Standing here now, three feet away from a dried puddle of blood in the dirt, Piper knew the truth of it. The settlers weren’t being oppressed, they were being guarded and helped. The curfew was, indeed, for their own safety. 

As they broke up and started to march once more, Gavin paused in front of her. “Still want me to tell you why we don’t just fly to the COP?”  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - -

****

Piper glanced over at Gavin, who had been constantly grinning at her for the past hour as they marched.

“What?” She wrinkled her nose at him.

He shook his head, “nothing… Bubblegum Knight.” He snickered. 

She elbowed him, “funny, Kidd.”

He rolled his eyes, “You know, when I told you to stop calling people by their first names… I didn’t mean me.” He pointed a finger at her, “but you’re learning pretty damn quick. Few more hard lessons and you’d make a great Scribe.”

“I'm glad we could help these folks but this doesn't mean I’m falling in with the Brotherhood.” She snorted, “last thing I need is more people yelling at me.”

Gavin scoffed, “but… The outfits are to die for!” He tucked his thumbs under his vest and cocked his chin as if modeling the thing. 

Piper chuckled quietly, “yeah, but you make it look good.” She nervously put a hand on the top of her helmet to adjust it a little as she almost blushed.

He raised an eyebrow at her, “You like this? I should model my birthday suit for you sometime.” 

There was nothing she could do to hide the bright red that heated her cheeks at that. She still couldn’t figure out if he was flirting with her or just… Being Gavin. None of that mattered anyhow, she’d never fall for a soldier. When the Brotherhood made their first appearance in the Commonwealth months ago, she had run across a few of them hanging out in Diamond City. She would see one hanging out, flirting with women, taking them to the Dugout… Then she would never see that particular soldier again. 

As a distraction, Piper lifted her camera and snapped a quick picture of him and his adorable grin. 

_No, Piper, it isn’t adorable. Stop it._

She paused and glanced around at their surroundings. The maple trees on either side lining the road were thicker than most places of the Commonwealth and, for a moment, Piper wondered if this was what the world looked like for Blue centuries ago. She turned and stared down the road they had come down. The bright red trees seemed like a strange wasteland oasis right out of a book. 

Gavin stood beside her and smiled. “I think the world can recover from the war.” He reached out to the side and plucked a leaf from one of the trees, turning it over in his hands with a distant look in his eyes, “even if humanity crumbles, the Earth will endure… It always does.”

“You’re planting seeds of hope… Helping people like you guys do.” Piper took a picture of the trees along the road and took a few more seconds to appreciate the view before turning to walk once more.

“Mm…” Gav let the leaf go into the breeze and turned, “war is like a wildfire. Destroys overgrowth and then from the ashes, life finds a way and starts over… The endless cycle never changes.”

“You support war?” Her question, for once, wasn’t heated or accusatory.

He shrugged, “it is what it is.”  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****


	4. Corn

  
  
  
  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

_Life finds a way. Just as the red maple oasis grew from scorched earth, so too would the people. Elder Maxson was trying his hardest to cultivate humanity in a world of strangling weeds. Raiders, Super Mutants, Gunners, and scores of corrupt people created a large gap between the haves and have-nots. I realized that the Brotherhood could win their fight with the Institute, but still lose this war; The war on humanity by those who weren’t held accountable for their actions. Those who would destroy the little sapling of hope trying desperately to cling to life. Maxson was a wildfire._

\- - - - - - - - - -

  
  
The combat outpost was… Smaller than Piper had imagined it would be. For a place that housed roughly forty soldiers, it seemed as though it should be three times the size. It was called South Boston Military Checkpoint _\--SBMC--_ and it consisted of a small building surrounded by a long fence and some trailers around the perimeter on three sides.

It was late when they got to the COP, but worth the delay to be able to help that settlement. 

Piper was pretty hungry… She’d given away all of her ‘pogey bait’ to the children. And the word ‘children’ definitely encompassed the soldiers. She was also really tired. Question was… Was she more tired, or more hungry? 

The gates were closed behind them and Piper stood just inside the large fenced in area as soldiers in power armor tromped around her. Gavin touched her hand as her fingertips tugged on the chin strap of her helmet.

“You have to keep it on.” His voice was quiet.

“But, we’re here now…” She slowly lowered her hand.

He nodded, “Yeah, but this is considered a combat zone.” He pointed to the building, “you can take it off inside.”

She dropped her hand and sighed as she followed him in. 

The open L-shaped building had curtains up along one wall where twelve beds were lined up and pushed together in twos. People were sleeping on them. Quite soundly. Twelve beds to bunk forty soldiers. They had figured out that if they push the beds together then lay the mattresses sideways to fill in the little gap between them, three soldiers could fit together side by side. Although, their feet stuck off the ends of the mattress. 

She wrinkled her nose at the beds. How were they even asleep like that? Lights were on in the main area and the curtain did very little to keep it out. And then there was the noise of soldiers in power armor coming in and out, talking loudly, and there was a radio playing in one corner to top it all off. 

Piper decided she was more hungry than tired. 

Outside, there was a huge cookpot set up in the corner of the L and that’s where most of the arriving soldiers had wound up. She stood in the back of the group and rubbed her hands together. Something smelled really good. Definitely not an MRE. 

Gav smiled down at her and she dropped her hands.

“What?”

He shrugged and nudged her toward the soldier serving food. “Nothing. It’s just really interesting when you think about it. After a rough day and some shit field rations how anything in a pot is the best thing ever.”

She sat down on the ground next to Gavin without a second thought as she cradled the warm bowl in her hands. Piper stirred the food up a bit then poked around the bowl with her spoon. It was stew of some sort. She shrugged and took a huge bite, then another before she was even finished chewing the first completely. 

Crewe, Bailey, and Aleski sat down with them and Piper paused mid-bite. They had come to sit with her. Well, _them,_ actually. She glanced at Gavin as he shoveled the last bite of food into his mouth and she wrinkled her nose for a second. She was pretty sure soldiers didn’t know how to chew food… They just unhinged their jaws and swallowed it whole. 

Piper smiled at the company as they all ate in near silence. But it wasn’t awkward.

She poked at her food again and spoke quietly, “what is this?” She took another bite. 

Gav used a finger to wipe the sides of the bowl and licked it off with an audible ‘pop’. “Skilly.” 

Piper looked at her fingers. They were filthy. _Gross._ As soon as she got home, she was going to take a week-long bath. 

“What’s skilly?” She said absently as she examined all the dirt under her nails then grabbed her spoon again.

Aleski scraped the sides of her bowl with her spoon, “it’s like grog, but instead of alcohol it’s food bits.”

“Bits?” Piper questioned as she squinted at the small amount remaining in her dish.

“Yeah, bits.” Bailey nodded. “All the scraps from other meals plus parts of animals that are set aside from butchering.”

Piper didn’t like where this was going.

He continued, “cleaned intestines, brains, ankles…”

Piper lowered her bowl as she made a face.

Crewe pointed, “you gunna finish that?”

She handed him the bowl and he finished it off without another word.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper stared at the beds as the arriving soldiers switched with the ones who had been sleeping before. She was going to have to sleep with two other soldiers. Try and sleep. Probably not sleep at all.

Aleski stepped up beside her and gave a shrug, “you can rack up with me of you want. I don’t snore.”

“Thanks…” Piper watched as the Knight found a bed and laid down... Boots still on and everything. 

Gavin nudged her with an elbow, “want me to make your threesome?” 

She stared at him for a moment then shook her head, “you’re a guy.”

“Last time I checked.” He grinned. 

“We can’t…” She hesitated then motioned to the bed. Then she realized, everything was co-ed. She bit her lip at the thought. It wouldn’t be so bad, sleeping with him. They were friends, after all. It would be comforting. 

She hesitated much too long, however. 

Crewe pushed between the two of them and flopped down in the middle of the bed, smirking at Gav as he did so.

Piper watched him roll over and put an arm around Aleski, who was somehow already asleep. That had to be some sort of super power. 

Gavin shrugged, “we can find another… Unless you’d rather?” He cocked his chin at the two in the bed. 

“I… Um…” She glanced down at her feet to avoid his grin. She would be better off sleeping with someone she didn’t like as much. Probably. She motioned to the bed in front of her, “Think I’m good here.” She sat on the edge of the bed carefully and smiled at Gavin. 

He shrugged and wandered down the line.

Piper watched him go then laid down, trying to find a comfortable way to sleep with the flat pillow folded in half and her feet off the mattress. Maybe she should have gone with Blue… She had a long mental argument with herself as she lay awake. Sleeping with that man would just make things complicated. No it wouldn’t! It’s just sleeping! Yes it would, you’d be cuddling. It’s not like that! 

She didn’t get any sleep the first night.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

They were pulled from their bunks after six hours and then they had to rotate for the others who had been on guard duty.

Piper groaned as she rolled out of the bed. It was still dark outside… Because of course it was. 

And there was no coffee at the COP. Just an empty pot and a pile of dirty mugs. She stared into the pot then set it back on the counter. It was probably for the better anyway since she wagered that any coffee from this place would undoubtedly contain ‘bits’ from other drinks or something equally horrid. 

“Just like a four-star hotel, right?” Gavin stood behind her, strapping on his vest.

“If said hotel were overrun with ferals. And on fire.” She stared at the coffee pot. “How long are we staying here?”

“Few days.” He patted her on the back, “hang in there soldier.”

Piper growled at him. Definitely not a morning person. 

She adjusted her helmet and yawned as she followed him. “Where are we going?”

“Romantic stroll in the country.” He held the door for her.

“Aw, Blue… You sure know how to treat a girl.” She smirked as she passed him. 

Turned out that, in a COP, everyone had to stand guard at one point or another.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

When Gavin had been ordered to put on power armor and go outside the fence, Piper had been left behind.

She made laps around the large yard then found Crewe standing watch on the backside of the building. She wasn’t sure if she should say hello or pretend she wasn’t even there at all. Piper took a step back to retreat and her mind was made up for her.

“Hey cuddle buddy.” He spoke without even turning to look at her. 

Piper shrugged to herself and stepped up beside him. “Hey.”

He glanced sideways at her, “got any more candy?”

She patted her pockets, “fresh out.” She pulled out a piece of bubblegum. “Unless you want some gum?”

He hesitated for a while then reached over and took it. “Suppose you want me to talk to you while I chew?”

Piper shook her head, “only if you want to.” 

He turned his head and looked her up and down. “Huh. Well alright then.”

After some time he blew a bubble and popped it. “So, whatcha wanna know?”

“Um…” She blinked at him. Piper was not prepared for him to actually, _willingly,_ speak with her. “How long have you been in the Brotherhood?” She asked carefully. 

“Hundred years, give or take one or two.” He snorted then gave a shrug, “joined when I was fourteen.” 

_A kid, then._ Though, Crewe was _still_ pretty much a kid. She couldn’t quite put an age to him. He was tall and slim with a round baby face, but sometimes he did or said things that made him look years older than he probably was. The shaggy blonde hair didn’t help her guessing at all. 

He was being friendly, so she was able to get in a few questions about the Brotherhood, but a lot of her questions were more personal. She found herself engaged in small talk with him. He recounted a few stories from missions he found to be particularly amusing, as well as a couple more upsetting missions. He told her a little about his days as an Initiate and some tough times they’d all gone through.

Being a soldier was mostly rough times, it seemed. Though, Crewe was optimistic. To an insane degree. 

“One time, we were sleeping in a trench in a rainstorm,” He snorted, “sleeping right in a puddle. Didn’t give two shits cuz at least the water was warm and the mud was soft.” He pointed at her, “tonight, you’ll sleep.”

“I don’t see how.” She rolled her eyes. 

“When you’re eating a shit sandwich, look for the corn.” He nudged her with an elbow. 

Piper laughed, “noted.” 

After some time, she worked up the courage to ask, “why did you join?” She had realized, after asking a couple of soldiers this question, that it was a very personal thing to some of them. Even Blue wouldn’t tell her why he initially chose to be a soldier pre-war. 

He was silent for a long while and she thought that she’d upset him. 

Crewe kicked a rock through the fence and his voice grew quiet, “atonement… You could say.” He shrugged, “wanted to kill some raiders.”

Piper nodded, “raiders are horrible. The things they do… Disgusting.” 

“I was a raider.” He glanced sideways at her then sighed quietly and looked away.

“Oh… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean--”

“Don’t be sorry. Raiders are asshats.” He snorted and gave a little half smile. After a moment he looked down and toed at the dirt. “So uh… I dunno why I told you that and I’d appreciate it if you forget you ever heard it.” He cast a sidelong glance at her, “only about four people know… So, if you’d do me a solid.”

“Of course.” Piper smiled, “I didn’t hear a thing.” 

He nodded and turned his attention back to the vast expanse of nothing beyond the fence.

Piper fidgeted with her hands, “thanks for the talk.”

“No prob.” He continued to stare straight ahead.

As she turned to leave, he spoke up once more.

“Fire hazard.”

She paused. “Excuse me?”

“Fire hazard…” He repeated. “The FH. That’s what it is.”

Her hand went to the back of her helmet. The little sticker was gone. 

Crewe reached out, took her by the wrist, and pressed the sticker onto the back of her glove with a grin.

“But you’re not so much anymore.”  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

That night, Piper did sleep. And she slept beside Gavin. She was too far exhausted to even think about it anymore. She had eaten the skilly, talked with several more soldiers, decided that Danse was bat-shit insane in his devotion, then fell onto the craptastic mattress next to Blue and fell right to sleep.

Lights, radio, armored soldiers, boots on and all. 

And she actually woke up at the same time as they did. Piper was vaguely aware of Gavin pulling his arm from around her as he rolled over to get up. 

She remained lying in the bed for a few seconds, staring blankly ahead and trying to blink sleep fog from her mind. Piper snorted quietly to herself as she imagined him there, spooning and… _Cuddling_ … Damn. She’d missed it after she fell into that six-hour coma. 

All for the better.

The last thing she needed was to decide he was cuddly as well as adorable. 

They had spent one more night at the COP before Danse took some of them aside to continue on. Seven of them. 

“We’ll be heading out directly.” The Paladin motioned to Piper and Gavin, “You two are welcome to either stay here or--”

“I’ve decided I love marching.” Piper flashed a sarcastic grin. Anything was better than the COP. 

“Very well.” Danse gave a curt nod, “gather your things and meet at the gate in ten.”  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****


	5. May I?

  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

_As with life in general, sometimes there’s a break in the shit-storm. The sun will come out. It can’t rain everyday. I had only tasted the smallest morsel of what life was like for these soldiers. Through talking with them about their own personal experiences, their losses, nightmares, hard times and pains, I caught a rare unseen glimpse into what drives them. They fight and die for those who cannot fight for themselves. These soldiers selflessly signed over their lives so others could live in a world with less oppression and fear. They had come to the Commonwealth to wage a war against the Institute. A war in which many of them would never come back from. When there was a small break in their storm, they lived like they would never see the sun rise. Some of them wouldn’t._

\- - - - - - - - - - 

Piper stood with the soldiers on the main road of their destination. “Jamaica Plain, huh? We gonna look for the treasure? Personally, I always worried it was some metaphorical crap. ‘The real treasure is you.’ Pfft.”

Gavin chuckled, “I’m always down for some treasure hunting.”

Crewe stepped past him and smirked, “I got a trail you could follow…” He stuck his thumb in the waistband of his pants and pulled them down a bit.

“I could…” Gavin smirked back at him, “but there ain’t no treasure at the end of that trail.”

“Bet.” He pulled his pants down further.

Piper covered her eyes and turned away. “Jeeze!” Soldiers, she had quickly discovered, were anything but shy.

Aleski walked past and nudged Crewe with her shoulder, “put it away before you hurt yourself.”

“I thought Jamaica Plain was abandoned?” Piper furrowed her brow at Gavin then looked around the, very much populated, town.

“It was.” They continued on, “the Brotherhood cleared it out, fixed it up and moved some displaced people in. Others followed as soon as shops were set up.” He motioned to a field of crops on the edge of town as they passed, “this is where we get the majority of our food.” 

“Mutually beneficial, I see.” 

“Mm…” He nodded. “There’s a lot of soldiers here. They get a lot of their income from us, actually… The mutual benefit parts are twofold. We offer them protection and caps, they give us food and shelter out on the front.” He pointed in a direction, “unfortunately, there’s a Gunner camp out there… Though, probably not for long.” Gav cocked his chin toward Danse and grinned. 

A couple of Knights broke off from Danse and the others and headed to a hotel. Gav placed his hand on the small of her back and ushered her toward the building when she kept walking after the Paladin. 

They made their way to the third floor and Gav opened the door, sweeping a hand out to the room, “your suite, m’lady.”

She snorted and shook her head as she stepped into the small room. “Kinda charming... If you squint your eyes real hard.” 

There was a beat up sofa against one wall, a very small night stand, a little desk in the corner, a bed that looked about the same as the COP beds, and a tiny bathroom to the side. With no door. Which was fine since it also lacked a lightbulb. The mirror was only a little broken.

Piper moved to the window and pulled the makeshift blanket curtain aside. “Well, at least it has a view.” The room overlooked the main road and she could see over the tops of most of the buildings as well as all the way out of town on one side. Not too bad, she supposed. Although, this was an East facing room. There would be wretched morning sunlight… 

However, she was always forced out of bed before the sun came up so she supposed that didn’t even matter anymore. East, West… All the same when you were awake any time the sun was sitting under the horizon. She’d have to get a coffee pot. 

Piper leaned against the window sill and smiled at Gavin, “so… What are our orders?”

He chuckled, “actually… We’re now on libby… Sort of.”

She furrowed her brow and he explained, “liberty. It’s like days off. We can do whatever we want. We’ll switch up the guard every few days, but there are so many of us here that it’s alright if some of us tear it up a bit at night.”

“Tear it up, huh?” She cocked her head to the side in thought, “wild parties? Sex, booze, and strippers?”

He grinned, “exactly.”

“Really?” She stared, “I was joking.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Gavin was not joking.

When night fell, Gav had taken her to a large bar where loud music played and people were already three sheets to the wind. Some of the people were civilians, but the majority were, indeed, soldiers. 

She decided, eventually, that it wouldn’t hurt to have a beer or two. She felt like she needed it after staying in that COP. 

First thing she had done was take a long shower until the water ran ice cold. She didn’t care if the shower head was pretty much just spitting cold water on her from the start. Didn’t care that there were no towels. She just didn’t care about anything other than washing off all that dirt.

Second thing she did was eat real food. Gavin had taken her to a diner where they ate steak and tatos and she’d be damned if the overcooked gristly meat was not the best thing ever. 

The settlers of JP had set up a large dining facility for the soldiers, like a big mess hall. They worked there for free and were often giving soldiers other things for free. Or rather, in thanks. Food, alcohol… Sex. 

Piper was at the bar ordering her third beer when a civilian woman approached her somewhat timidly. 

“Excuse me.”

Piper smiled at the dark haired lady.

“Are you two,” She pointed at Gavin across the room, “together?”

Piper snorted, “no, he’s just my guard.” The very thought made her laugh inside her own head. She would never. Although…

_No Piper! Not gunna happen!_

“Oh… Well... Would you mind,” she raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, “may I fuck him?”

Piper nearly choked on her beer. 

“No!” She coughed and patted a hand against her chest then motioned to him with a little sarcasm laced in her action, “by all means.”

“Oh, thank you!” She looked relieved and placed a hand gently on Piper’s shoulder, “some of these guys here are…” She glanced around and lowered her voice, “real shit sometimes. Just… big shaved yao guai.” She laughed, “all the manners of one and about half the brains when it comes to a proper fuck, you know?”

Piper worked to hide her astonishment as she smiled and nodded, “oh, yeah, totally.”

The woman smiled and patted her on the shoulder before taking a step back, “thanks, love!”

And with that, the dark haired lady practically skipped across the crowded bar to Gavin. 

Piper just stood and stared in disbelief for some time. _What the hell just happened?_ She started laughing and Aleski appeared and laughed next to her.

“What are we laughing at?” The Knight cocked her head.

“Someone just asked me if she could have sex with my guard.” Piper took a long swallow of beer to drown the amusement.

“Gavin?” She scoffed, “he doesn’t need any help getting laid.”

“Yeah, I bet not.” Piper shrugged and leaned back against the bar, propping an elbow up on the wood as she watched the lady interacting with him. She felt a little jealousy for some reason. That was just absurd. 

“One thing I can say about him though…” Aleski smiled, “he’s honest in his intentions.” 

Piper nodded in agreement, “I’ve had a lot of game playing boys at my doorstep looking to hit a homerun.”

Aleski laughed, “you’re hot, I could see where it’d be a constant problem.”

She hid her light blush behind another swig of beer. And then, not even two minutes later, Gavin and the woman left the bar. Piper sighed and turned around to order another drink. _Maybe something stronger._

“You…” Aleski leaned over and looked at Piper’s face, “like him, don’t you?”

“Pfft… No.”

The Knight laughed. “Nothing wrong with some sandbox lovin’.” She winked and Piper had to look away.

“I’m not looking for… That.” She took the beer from the tender and dropped a couple caps on the bar.

“What are you looking for?”

“The story of the century.” Piper smiled.

Aleski grinned, “you can set the pen down every so often, you know. Could be missing out on things right in front of you that you can’t see because you have that notebook blocking your vision.”

Piper slowly nodded and pointed the mouth of her bottle at her, “I’m starting to get that.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

The next day, Lancer Lucci had flown in to drop supplies. And had also been granted liberty for a few days. She wasn’t pointedly ignoring Piper, but Lucky was very good at making herself scarce and she could disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye. The reporter thought it best to just keep her distance for a while.

But, damn, she still really wanted to talk to that woman! 

Her frustration was divided whenever she looked at Blue. She wanted to know if he actually had sex with that woman. But then she would get into a mental argument with herself because it was none of her business. Bailey said Gavin didn’t do it, that he had introduced the woman to some other soldier. Piper didn’t believe that for a second. If she had learned anything at all by watching the camaraderie between brothers, it was that they had some sort of ‘bro-code’ that women just weren’t privvy to and they would cover for one another without even being asked. 

But why would he need a cover? They weren’t shy or embarrassed about anything, it seemed. If one of them, Gavin especially, had hooked up with a prostitute, they’d just shrug it up and admit freely. 

And why was she even bothered to have this mental dispute with herself?! 

You don’t care, Piper!

But I kind of do…

_No, dammit!_

She rolled her eyes and told her squabbling shoulder deities to shut up as she took another beer from the bartender.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper sat on the couch next to Gavin with her arms crossed… Staring at Lucky across the room.

“How do I get her to talk to me?”

Gavin gave a small shoulder shrug, “apologize, for starters.” 

She turned to him and frowned, “apologize? For what? She’s the one who’s been--”

“Remember back on the Pryd when you were talking about the kids?” The corner of his mouth gave the faintest hint of a smile, “well, Jess was one of those ‘whackjob’ kids who joined when she was ten.”

“Oh…” Piper lowered her eyes, “poor girl. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

Gavin chuckled and took a drink of his beer. 

“What?”

He nestled the bottle between his thighs and shrugged, “don’t pity her. If you wanna know about Brotherhood kids… She’s definitely the one to talk to.”

She pursed her lips and made a motion with one hand toward the Lancer, “I’ve been trying!”

“Yeah, and you’ve been going about it all wrong.” He pulled his arm from Piper’s shoulders and leaned forward to grab a bottle of whiskey off the table. “Here… Try a peace offering.” He put the bottle in her hands with a grin.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper approached the table cautiously and set the whiskey in the center next to the Lancer’s crossed ankles. She smiled, what she hoped was, a friendly smile. She had been told, over the years, that she had a fantastic ‘resting bitch face’. She believed it… Until she fell in with these soldiers. The BoS not only perfected resting bitch face, but took it to a whole new level.

Lucky eyed the bottle, then the reporter. After a moment she dropped her feet off the table and scooted the whiskey closer to herself, moving aside a few shot glasses and other bottles other people had left. 

“Thanks.” The Lancer idly turned the bottle around on the table. “You got something to say or just gunna stare at me all night?”

Piper rubbed her palms against her pants and shook her head, “no, I'm just getting ready to eat some crow…”

To her surprise, Lucci gave an amused snort and pointed to the chair opposite hers. “Well, sit down, then.”

She pulled the chair out cautiously, unsure if it was another trick which would leave her alone and yelling after the vanishing Lancer again. Not only did Lucky stay put this time, she sat back and got comfortable. Piper folded her hands on the table and tried to keep a pleasant look on her face. 

“I’d like to apologize for all the things I said before. I was…”

“Fucking ignorant.” Lucky glanced up from the bottle as she unscrewed the cap.

“Uh… Yeah.” Piper nodded, “that.” She glanced around the room full of people and sat back in her chair, trying to mimic the Lancer’s relaxed posture. “After spending time with you guys I learned a lot and… I was wrong.” 

Lucky nodded in agreement and took a sip of the whiskey, made a face at the bottle… Then took another sip. 

Piper fidgeted with her hands a little. She wanted to interview the Lancer, but she didn’t want to piss her off again. 

“Maxson is a smart man.” She said cautiously.

Lucky smiled, “smartest man you’ll ever meet.” 

The Lancer paused for a moment and eyed the bottle in her hand. Sitting up, she turned two shot glasses upright and scoot them into the center of the table. “I know you have a hardon to ask me some questions.” She filled the two glasses to overflowing then set the bottle down off to the side. “So, here’s the deal…” She used one finger to push one of the shots in front of the reporter, “ask away… But for every question you ask me… You gotta take a drink. If I don’t wanna answer, I’ll drink instead.”

Piper blinked at the shot for a moment. This had to be some sort of terrible trick or another joke at her expense. “I’m more of a beer drinker…”

Lucci rested her elbows on the table and set her chin on top of her folded hands. “Ya know… When you bring a soldier a bottle, it’s rude not to share it with ‘em.” 

“Is that really a thing?” Piper narrowed her eyes skeptically.

“Yup.” Lucky grinned, “and that most definitely counted as a question.”

Piper took the glass carefully, trying not to spill it, and lifted it up. She took a breath and gave a shrug, “bottoms up!”

It was terrible. The whiskey tasted like gasoline distilled in an old boot. There was no way she’d be able to ask all the questions she wanted to if she enjoyed her liver functioning properly… and the Lancer had already cheated. She was going to have to make her questions count. Or, perhaps, she could ask some tough ones that Lucci wouldn’t want to answer and maybe she could get her drunk… People talked quite openly when drunk…

She took her notepad from her pocket and flipped to a clean page. Setting it down on the table, she wrote ‘Lucky’ across the top in letters big enough for the Lancer to see. She figured that might smooth things over a bit more. Seemed to work… Lucci let out a quiet laugh and drank her shot just for the heck of it. 

Piper crossed her legs and sat up straight. The Lancer was acting friendly now, which made the reporter more bold. She gave a little smirk and raised an eyebrow, “so tell me about your nickname.”

Lucci raised an eyebrow at her and poured herself another shot. “That’s not a question…” 

Piper’s smile faltered a little when she thought the Lancer wasn’t going to answer. Instead, Lucci set the bottle closer to the reporter and sat back without touching her drink. 

“Clever.” 

“Thank you.” The reporter flashed a smug grin. “So, are you going to tell me or not?” Piper froze for a moment then slapped her palm against the table. “Shit.”

Lucky laughed at her mistake, then laughed more when she cussed. 

Piper sighed as she poured herself a shot. She only filled the small glass about halfway, but Lucky didn’t protest. She knocked it back and coughed. She was starting to wonder if it was whiskey at all and not actual turpentine that had been left out in the sun too long… In a nuclear blast zone.

Lucci pointed to her name embroidered across the patch on her fatigues, “some people are real shit at reading.” She glanced down at her name and rolled her eyes. “When I was an Initiate… Some of the other kids couldn’t pronounce my name and thought it said ‘Lucky’ because they’re fucking blind or stupid or whatever.” She paused for a moment in remembrance and shook her head at a thought. “It’s sort of an old custom for pilots to have nicknames. I used to get pissed when people called me Lucky cuz they should know better… Most of the ranks knew my brother for fucks sake. But when I got into aviation… Talon told me Lucky was fitting cuz I’m just that… A lucky fuck.” She shrugged, “so there ya go. Not real exciting or anything… Hope that drink was worth it.”

Piper scribbled down what the Lancer had said, then several more questions that sprang to mind as she spoke. She suddenly wanted to know about her brother, other soldier customs like nicknames, and what sorts of things she had been through where she came out being called lucky. Mostly, though, she was interested in what led Lucci to join the BoS when she was only ten years old. 

As she thought about how to pose the question, Piper dribbled a bit of whiskey into her glass. She stared at the quarter of a shot for a moment before she finally asked straight out, “Why did you join the Brotherhood?”

The Lancer stared at her for a while then leaned forward and touched her own glass. “Well, shit… That’s a great question.”

Piper’s eyes fell on Lucci’s hand. She really wanted to know the answer to this question above all else. When she first came to the Prydwen, Piper had about a million questions she wanted to grill Maxson on. A million accusations. She wanted to know why they were there and what they were doing. After spending time with the soldiers, Piper realized she wanted to know more about the people behind the Brotherhood of Steel. They each had unique stories to tell and they were passionate about what they did. Each and every soldier had a driving reason for joining up; Something they felt so strongly about that they were willing to die for it... And Lucky did it when she was only ten years old.

Was she going to answer the question… Or drink to it, instead? Piper chewed her lip as the Lancer stared at her in thought… Then pushed her overflowing shot toward Piper and took her measly quarter shot in its stead, pulling it closer to herself and removing her hand entirely. 

Piper let out a sigh of relief, then took the full shot and drank it in three awkward swallows. It wasn’t tasting as bad as before, which was probably a bad thing since it meant she was getting buzzed already. Or maybe the crud had destroyed the tastebuds on her tongue. 

Lucky folded her hands on the table and stared down at them as she spoke quietly, “my brother was a pilot.” She paused for quite a while before continuing, “he died at Adams Air Force Base… When I was nine, we went to the service for all the fallen soldiers and I stood in front of his armor and made a decision to join.” She chewed her lip for a moment and her hands tightened together. “My parents weren’t real happy about that… They kicked me out.” 

Piper’s pen stopped and she opened her mouth to ask something then thought better of it as the Lancer eyed her. She jotted down a few more questions she really wanted to ask and remained quiet.

“Joey was the best.” A faint smile ghosted her lips. “Taught me all about birds. Took me to the coolest places… But more than that, he was a dedicated soldier. He wanted so badly to make the world a better place. Make it better for everyone. For me.” She took the bottle and drank straight from it. “I didn’t want his death to be meaningless.” Lucky filled the quarter shot the rest of the way, then filled Piper’s glass. “So… On my tenth birthday I joined up so I could be just like Joey. Change the world… Be a hero and save the lives of my brothers and sisters so that their families wouldn’t have to be the ones there at the service missing loved ones.” 

She set the bottle off to the side once more and smiled, “and to answer that question there on your paper… Yeah, it was hell. Hardest thing I’ve ever done. They shaved my head and yelled at me all day every day, pretty much. There were nights I cried myself to sleep. Nights I didn’t even get to sleep. Yeah I missed my parents, still do sometimes. They were great people. I had a good childhood.” She pointed at the notepad, “but I wouldn’t change a single thing. I learned a lot about myself and how to earn things in life. All that time… Made me who I am today and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. So don’t feel bad for these kids, the things they’re learning and doing are fucking amazing and they’ll be all the better for it. Learning shit like teamwork, self-esteem, leadership, camaraderie… School of hard knocks, for sure.”

Piper blinked at her then stared down at her paper with her pen pressed against a line, unmoving. She wasn’t sure what to say… For the first time in her life, she was rendered speechless. She had questions in mind, but they were all directed at herself and her suddenly shattered preconceived notions about the kids. 

“You’re alright, P.” Lucky broke the reporter out of her thoughts. “Ask me another.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper let out a soft groan and awkwardly plopped a hand against her throbbing forehead. She cracked open one eye and peered around the room she was in. It was her hotel room. Well… That was good. Sunlight streamed around the edges of the blanket covering the window and punched her right in the face as she rolled over in the bed. Piper groaned again and pulled the covers over her head to escape the wretched light.

Then she suddenly lifted the covers up and peered down at herself. Blinking stupidly, she sat up in the bed and held her arms out to look at what she was wearing. The tan fatigue T-shirt she had on was much too large… This was definitely not her shirt. This was a man’s shirt. Piper wrinkled her nose and tried to remember what happened. She timidly sniffed the shirt to try and take a guess at who the owner might be. Smelled like alcohol, gun oil, and… definitely male. 

“Morning, sunshine.” 

Piper startled and stared at Gavin standing in her bathroom doorway with a smirk plastered on his face. He was wearing a pair of boxers… And nothing else. Under different circumstances, she might have appreciated the view, but at the moment she panicked at the thought of--

“What… Why are you…” She tried to shake the fog from her head and uncovered herself to stand up… Then immediately covered her bare legs again, pulling the blankets up and holding them tightly to her chest. “Where are my pants?!”

Gavin laughed, “I don’t have a clue.”

She held the covers out a little and looked down at herself for a moment. “Oh, God!”

He laughed again and walked over to the middle of the room, grabbing his own pants from the floor to put them on. 

“Take it you don’t remember anything from last night…” 

She shook her head as she watched him slide his pants over his hips and fasten them.

He smirked and sat on the end of the bed. “Ah, pity.” 

Piper clutched the covers tightly as she stared at his bare back while he put his boots on. 

“Did you… We... “ She groaned and put her face in her hands. 

He paused in lacing his second boot and turned to face her. “Is the thought really that bad?” His smirk remained.

She peeked between her fingers at him. _What did she do last night?!_ Damn that Lancer for making her drink that horrible whiskey. 

Piper dropped her hands. “I think... I made a big mistake and I’m sorry if I--” Wait, why was she sorry? She wasn’t even sure what she did. 

“Mistake? Ah, Pip, I thought you liked me.” He turned back to his boot.

“Oh... I, I mean, I'd be lying if I said I never thought about you that way... not that I'm always thinking that way--” She snapped her mouth closed and fell back on the bed, covering her head up to hide her flushed face. There was no way she had just said that out loud... 

She felt the bed move as he stood up and she peeked over the top of the blanket at him. He ran his hands through his disheveled hair and smiled down at her in such a way that made her really wish she could remember details from the night. She would most definitely be lying if she said she’d never thought about it… 

“So… I’ll let you find your pants…” He winked, “and I’ll see you at chow.” Gavin turned and opened the door, pausing for a moment to turn and point back at her, “I’ll let you keep that shirt for now.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****


	6. No Regrets

  
  
  
  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper had found her clothes scattered about the hotel room… Minus her shirt. She had dressed in clean clothes and brushed knots out of her hair, washed her face and berated herself in the mirror for a good ten minutes before heading out to eat.

Although food sounded like a terrible idea, Piper had taken some bread and water and stood in the dining room _\--DFAC--_ with her tray. All the benches were taken, except for a spot next to Lucky. 

Of the things she _did_ remember from the night before, she remembered speaking with the Lancer. Finally. But that didn’t mean they were friends now. She glanced around the room and spotted Gavin sitting at a table someone just stood up from. She could go sit there… No. There was no way she could sit next to that man right now. 

“You okay?” Aleski’s voice startled Piper from her thoughts.

“Oh… I… Yeah.” She tore her eyes from Gav and stared down at her tray.

Aleski nudged her with an elbow. “C’mon.” She brushed past her to Lucky’s table and made her scoot over to make room, offering Piper a place beside her.

She hesitated to sit for a moment, but then Lucci smiled at her. _Smiled._ Not a smirk or a sneer… Piper smiled back as she sat down across the table from Crewe. 

He glanced up from his food with a faint smile, “have fun last night?” He shoveled a large bite into his mouth.

“Oh… Um…” Piper fought to keep from blushing. Did they know Gavin was in her room?! _Oh, God!_ She pulled her notebook out and pretended to go over notes from the night. “Yeah, had a blast.” She smiled.

Piper wrinkled her nose at a page in her notebook. Someone had drawn a dick in the middle of the page. Did they do that to make fun of her? Was it a message against her? She stared at it stupidly trying to figure it out. Why would someone--

“I apologize for that…” Aleski pointed at the crude drawing, “that’s how Crewe marks his territory… He’s an idiot.”

Crewe snickered and took a long drink of water to keep from laughing at the look on Piper’s face.

“I’ll put a dick on _you_ …” He grinned impishly at Al.

Lucky flicked a crumb at him from across the table, “your bedroom talk must be spectacular.” 

Piper giggled. They were including her, not making fun of her. She felt a little stab of pride and joy at the camaraderie she was suddenly feeling. 

“I’ll have you know,” he pointed at the Lancer, “I am romantic as fuck.”

“I’ll bet you are.” Piper couldn’t help herself, “does it go something like… Hey baby, I'll do you so good, the _neighbors_ will be having a cigarette when we're done!” That was actually a line she had heard once… In all seriousness. 

The soldiers around the table laughed. 

Aleski spoke mockingly, “you have a beautiful voice. I bet it would sound even better muffled by my cock.”

“Hey!” Crewe pointed at her, “it's not just going to suck itself.”

More laughter. 

Bailey cocked his chin at nobody in particular and grinned, “would you like to actively engage in mock procreation?” He wiggled his eyebrows. 

Lucky giggled, “now that’s classy. I’d go for that.”

“That how Maxson does it?” Crewe feigned a look of seriousness for a moment before falling back into laughter with the others. 

Piper used her best deep male voice, “girl, you should sell hotdogs, because you already know how to make a wiener stand.” That was, sadly, another one she’d heard directed at her.

Crewe fought to restrain his chuckling as he slapped his palm down on the table then pointed at her, “that one is gold, I’m making a mental note…” 

“Let's play carpenter. First we'll get hammered, then I'll nail you.” Gavin grinned as he tapped Piper on the shoulder with the back of his hand and she froze while the others laughed. 

She glanced up at him then buried her face in her hands. 

Her embarrassment only served to make Crewe laugh harder. “Oh, sweet baby Jesus… You fucked Gav!” He had to work to catch his breath. 

Bailey shrugged, “inevitable.”

Piper wondered if it was still considered going AWOL if she wasn’t technically a soldier. 

“You suck.” Aleski glared up at Gavin.

“So very well.” He pointed at her then folded his arms loosely over his chest.

Al put an arm around Piper and continued to glare at him as she spoke to the rest of the table, “they didn’t fuck.”

Piper glanced up from her hands at the Knight beside her and gave her a completely puzzled look.

“They didn’t fuck…” She repeated. “Tell her what really happened, you asshat.”

“Why you gotta ruin his fun?” Lucky hit Al lightly on the shoulder. 

Gavin sighed, “fine.” He motioned with a hand flippantly, “you drank about twice your bodyweight in alcohol, fucked your shirt up and tried to ass out in the commons. Jess took my shirt and the girls changed you in the back room. I was, unfortunately, not there for that part.” He pointed, “me, Al, and Jess helped you to your room and I did my bodyguard thing and stuck around to make sure you were okay. You had some... “ He wrinkled his nose at a distasteful thought, “unwanted sexual attention last night from some people.” He shrugged, “I slept on the sofa.”

She stared at him for a long moment then stood up and punched him hard in the shoulder, “you let me think we had sex!”

“Ow! Fuck…” He clutched his shoulder and laughed, “I can’t help that you were thinking about it!”

“I was… not-- Okay but only because you-- Ugh!” Piper turned on her heel and left the DFAC.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper glared at her door as she listened to him rap his knuckles softly against it for a second time.

“Pip… I’m sorry…” He tapped a third time. “Lemme in and I’ll make it up to you…”

She growled and pulled the door open, “you are infuriating, you know that?” She crossed her arms angrily and propped a foot out.

“So I’ve been told.” He smiled and closed the door quietly behind him.

 _Stupid smile._ Piper rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of her writing table, still working diligently on maintaining her angry glare… Despite that dumb boyish grin on his adorable face. _Not_ adorable face. Dammit, Piper, you _cannot_ like a soldier!

“I should have told you right away. I apologize.” He spread his hands in a supplicating manner. “I didn’t mean to dishonor you in any way.”

“Wow, Blue… Very Knightly of you.” She glanced down at the floor and sighed in defeat, “so, you know, going over it in my head, that whole conversation we had, where I pretty much said you were my only friend. Did that sound nuts?” She had been thinking about it. She wasn’t mad at _him,_ she was angry at herself for liking him so much. Wasn’t his fault he was so friendly. And cute. And flirty…

“Not completely.” 

“Thanks.” She glanced up at him. “I… Um…” Go big or go home, what’s the worst that could happen? “I like you, Blue.”

“I like you, too, Pip.” He gave a small one shoulder shrug.

Piper shook her head, “no… I mean… I _like_ you. You know?”

“I know.” He flashed that leg trembling impish grin of his.

She threw her hands up in exasperation, “no, Blue, you’re supposed to tell me I’m crazy or laugh at me or something. I can’t…” Piper sighed again, “I can’t like you.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I can’t like you because you’re a soldier and how many relationships established in a hail of gunfire actually work out?” She shook her head, “I’d go back to Diamond City and you’d… You know… Do your soldier boy thing…”

There was a small pause as he stepped closer and took one of her hands in his, “we already have a relationship. Always have.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“I don’t know how comforting that is… I’m really going to miss you.” 

“So cherish the time we have. Memories. No regrets, Pip.” He cocked his head to the side slightly in question.

“No regrets?” Piper mulled it over for a moment then nodded.

“No regrets.” He echoed. 

_And then he kissed her._  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

“More drinking?!” Piper stared at Aleski as the Knight intertwined her arm with the reporter’s and escorted her into the bar.

“Uh-huh.” She smiled, “you know, when it’s never certain whether or not you’ll live to see the end of the week, getting drunk as much as possible is always the best option.” Al pulled her up to the crowded bar and ordered two beers then turned to Piper with a little grin, “what, scared you’ll end up with no pants on and Gavin in your room again?”

Piper blushed then took one of the beers and put it to her lips to hide the look on her face.

“Oh, shit, son!” Aleski laughed, “You did not!” She lightly punched her shoulder.

 _How the hell did she know?!_

“I… Um… He--”

“It’s cool.” The Knight gave a shrug, “you could’ve done far worse.”

Lucky hopped up to sit on the bar next to Piper. “Done far worse? Who?” She narrowed her eyes a little then laughed, “ah, camo fever got you, huh, P?”

“Camo fever?” Piper wrinkled her nose at the Lancer, “no! It’s not like that.”

“Uh-huh. Whatever.” Lucky waved a hand at her flippantly. “What the hell are you drinking? No. Unacceptable.” She leaned back to get the tenders attention and ordered a bottle of something or other.

 _Please not more boot distilled turpentine whiskey._ Piper rolled her eyes. At least she wouldn’t have to play twenty questions, alcoholic version, this time. 

And then, somehow, she found herself at a table with the two women playing caps, instead. How did this keep happening to her?! At least the vodka Lucky ordered wasn’t so bad.

Also, Piper was pretty good at caps. She bounced a cap off the table and into the glass in the middle of the table then gave a smirk as Lucky and Al downed the shots in front of them. They were having good conversation. Open, honest… Mostly about guys. So this was what it was like to hang out with other women and engage in ‘girl talk’. Piper never really had many friends, not even as a teenager. She liked this.

Inevitably, a man approached their table. He was a civilian from the town. He smiled at the three of them and pulled a chair out beside Piper and sat. _Perfect_. She smiled politely at him, unsure of what to say. She was never the best at turning away unwanted male attention. 

“I couldn’t help but notice the three of you beautiful women and would like to--”

“Fuck off.” Lucky glared at him.

The man stood up, gave a curt nod and turned away immediately.

Piper stared at her incredulously. Well, that had been effective. She wished she could be that bold. The three girls suddenly let out a chorus of drunk giggles and Aleski filled their shots to knock back just for the hell of it. 

Gavin and Crewe eventually found their way to the table and, by that time, Piper was feeling a pretty good buzz. 

“What’s the game?” Gav pointed at the vodka and plopped down in the recently vacated seat next to Piper.

Crewe dug the cap out of the glass and his eyes lit up, “Oooh, caps. I got this.” He bounced it and the cap missed. By a long shot. 

“You got shit.” Lucky scooted the vodka toward him and laughed. 

Piper set a finger on the cap and slid it toward Gavin. She smiled up at him then tried to wipe the goofy grin off her face to no avail. She couldn’t feel her nose anymore, there was no way she could keep from giving the man dumb starry-eyed looks. 

As it would turn out… Gavin was really good at caps. _Dammit._

“Yer cheating.” Piper thunked her empty glass down on the table with the others.

Gav laughed, “absolutely. Just trying to get you drunk, is all.”

Lucky leaned against the table clumsily and pointed a finger at him, “so you c’n play carpenter.”

Even Piper had to laugh at that. She couldn’t help it… She was really feeling the vodka by that point. 

Crewe put his arm around Aleski and gave her a drunk grin, “C’n we play carpenter?” 

She laughed and shoved him away half-heartedly. 

He chuckled, “screwin’ is m’job…” He leaned over and kissed her, then the two of them started making out like a couple of teenagers.

“Get a fuckin’ room!” Lucky shoved Aleski over to make her get up.

The two of them giggled as Crewe pulled her away by the hand.

“Fuck.” The Lancer rolled her eyes. She turned her attention to Piper and Gav, “you, too.”

Piper looked at Gavin for a moment, tried once more to hide her dumb grin, then looked back over to Lucky, “What? I’m not--”

“Jeezus!” She grabbed the nearly empty bottle and stood up, “the sexual tension is so thick up in here you c'n shoot holes in it.”

Gavin laughed as she walked away. 

Piper stared at him for a minute then started fidgeting with her shot glass nervously. “She’s--”

“Correct.” He grinned.

Piper couldn’t quite remember how it happened, but she suddenly found herself back in her room. With Gavin. And, yet again, he was wearing nothing but his boxers. But this time, she unabashedly took in the view. 

_No regrets._  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

The following week and a half had been much of the same. They drank, played poker and other games, talked a lot of shit to one another and generally just lived as though every day would be their last. And the sad truth was, it very well could be.

They had received word that Telly was K.I.A. back at the settlement they had helped. The detachment had gone after the raiders responsible for the decimation of the little town and wiped them out, but not without the loss. 

And then, Piper heard three more soldiers had been killed from the COP when they had sent some of them to clear out a group of super mutants near another settlement. One of those soldiers was Jacobs. 

Piper sat in her bed and flipped over the full page of her notebook, continuing her thoughts on the blank page. 

“When I asked if you sleep with your book…” Gavin leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom and pointed his toothbrush at her, “I was joking.”

She continued to write, “when I said yes… I wasn’t.” She ended her sentence and smirked up at him.

He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment then came back out and stalked to the bed. “What does it take to get that pen out of your hand?”

“Dunno, Blue… Maybe put something else in it?” She had grown more bold in her time spent with them.

He crawled onto the bed and plucked the notebook from her hand and tossed it on the night stand. He licked his lips, slid the pen from her grip and chucked it over his shoulder. 

Piper giggled as he pushed her back on the bed with a quiet growl and lowered himself down on her.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper’s journey came to an abrupt end one day.

It was early morning, before the sun had come up, when a loud explosion shook the ground. Gavin jumped out of the bed and Piper sat bolt upright, clutching the covers to her chest. Screaming and yelling flooded the streets outside and then gunfire started up in the distance.

“What was that?!” She stared at him as he haphazardly got dressed. 

“Rude fucking awakening.” He didn’t even bother to tie his boots as he grabbed his rifle and headed for the door.

She threw the covers off and tried to get dressed as quickly as she could. How did he do that?! She was hopping into her second boot as she left the room, watching as other soldiers and a few civilians left theirs. 

Aleski trotted past and touched Piper on the shoulder as she went, “Take cover. Stay away from windows.”

“Oh… Kay… Jordyn! Wait!” Piper went after her, “what’s going on?”

The Knight paused, “Gunners.” She pressed a finger sharply against Piper’s chest, “Get your gear and go take fucking cover somewhere. JP just got kinetic.” 

Piper watched her go then glanced down at herself. Gear. Right. She ran back to her room and put on the OTV and helmet. 

Then she peered carefully out the window. 

A building toward the edge of town was smoking and crumbling around a huge gaping hole in the side. Soldiers in power armor who had been on guard were at the end of the road firing out into the darkness, lighting up the early morning with a barrage of red laser glare. Civilians were being herded up by other soldiers and taken to safety. She could hear crying. A few wails. Pained groans… 

Gunfire. 

A rocket was fired from the distance and zipped down the street, hitting the very corner of another building before plowing into a large trailer. 

Piper leaned a little more out the window for a better view and the frame suddenly exploded in a spray of wood splinters and the wind was knocked out of her. She fell back onto the bed and gasped for air, clutching her chest where the hole had torn through her vest. 

She couldn’t breathe and her first instinct was to remove the restricting clothing, but she fought it. _Keep the damn OTV on!_ Piper frantically searched the vest for damage and stuck her finger in the hole. She felt dented plating under the torn fabric. She was okay. 

Piper made her way back downstairs and into the basement of the hotel with several other civilians and a few soldiers guarding them. Gavin wasn’t one of the guards as she hoped he would be. _Where was he?_

She stuck her finger in the hole in the vest again as she looked over the faces of panicked civilians. Some of them were crying. Piper moved next to a little girl and put an arm around her, rubbing her back lightly.

“Shh.. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” Her words were for herself just as much as for the child.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Gunfire eventually died down and a heavy silence washed over the town, broken only by the shouting of soldiers in the streets.

Piper stepped out into the bright dawn and stared at the smoke billowing up from the broken building behind the others. Were there people in there? There had to have been. Soldiers would be digging graves for these people today. Piper touched her vest once again then started to panic a little inside. 

Where was Gavin? Where were Aleski, Lucky, Bailey and Crewe? She saw Paladin Danse in his armor standing with a group of soldiers. None of them were the people she was looking for. 

“You okay?” 

She spun around and hugged Gavin as relief flooded her. “I’m okay, are you?” She pulled back to look him over. 

“I’m good.” He paused then pointed at her chest, “sure you’re okay?” He stuck his finger in the hole and poked around a moment, then spun her around to examine the rest of her. 

She swatted his hands away, “I’m fine!” 

He hugged her again, holding her tightly for a moment before pulling quickly away and starting off toward Danse. 

Piper followed him, standing quietly at his side while she listened to the Paladin giving orders. 

He finished up and turned to her, “you will be returning to the Prydwen ASAP.”

“Wait… What? Why?” She protested after him as he walked away. 

“You’re done here.” His tone was curt, but not angry.

“But… I’m fine...” She shook her head and tried to think of some good argument to stay. Huh… She _wanted_ to stay. It wasn’t just Gavin and her friends; Piper had become addicted to the lifestyle these soldiers had brought her into. 

He rounded on her, “you are done here. Do I make myself clear?”

She dropped her shoulders and nodded.  
  


****

### \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

****


	7. About Face

  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

It was later in the afternoon when Piper climbed up into the vertibird to leave. When Danse said ASAP, he meant _ASAFP._

She hadn’t gotten much time to say goodbye to Gavin, but he did slip away from duties to spend some time with her. She had also found the others and said very brief farewells to them before gathering her things and following Lucky to the bird. 

As it lifted off, she smiled faintly and waved at Gav below. He blew her a kiss and grinned. _That cute little grin._

Would she ever see any of them again? 

Danse was going to mount a counterattack on the Gunners. They were holed up in the Quincy ruins and had a pretty strong base there, from what she’d heard. It was going to be a medium scale skirmish… There would be casualties for certain. She watched the soldiers below turn into little dots, then the town slowly disappeared along with them.

Just like that, her journey was over. Done in the blink of an eye… the explosion of an RPG one early morning. 

It was like that for soldiers, she supposed. Their stories and journeys ended with the impact of a bullet. An IED. A grenade or rocket. 

But those times in between… They were worth it. Helping others, fighting true oppression, defending what was left of humanity… Friendship, love, camaraderie... No regrets.  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

“I trust you’ve found some answers to your questions, Miss Wright?” Maxson pulled a chair out for Piper then sat down across his table from her.

She smiled, “yes, along with many more answers to questions I didn’t even know I had.”

“Very good.” He gave a nod. “I hope that your experiences have opened your eyes a little more.”

“Wide open.” She put her hands on the sides of her head and flashed palms for emphasis. 

Another nod. “I care about them, you know. The people of the Commonwealth.”

“I know that now.” She sighed, “I wish more people could have the experience I did.”

“That’s the goal of your story, is it not?” Maxson cocked his chin slightly.

“Well… Yeah.” She paused and shook her head, “but I have so much to say… I can’t fit it all into one little paper. Or even two for that matter.”

“Have you given any thought to writing a book, perhaps?” 

She blinked at him. “A book?” Piper drummed her fingers on his table for a moment as she thought about it. “That’s… A great idea.” Piper smiled, “thank you, Sir.”

A little smile touched his lips, “Arthur is fine.”

Piper snorted softly, “never gunna understand when it’s okay to call a soldier by their first name.”

“You can call your friends by their first name, Miss Wright.”

She pointed a finger at him and grinned, “Piper is fine.”

He chuckled, “Piper it is.” Maxson reached into his coat and pulled out her canister of film. He turned it over in his hands for a moment then set it on the table in front of her. 

She timidly reached out and scooted it closer to herself. “Thank you.”

He replied with a curt nod.

It hadn’t been so crystal clear at the start of her journey, but now? He had taken her film… Taken her ammunition against the Brotherhood… Because it held sensitive information on it regarding the Prydwen as well as the pictures she had taken out of misguided outrage. Now… He handed it back with full trust and confidence in her that she’d do the right thing with the information. He was showing her faith and goodwill. 

“So, Piper,” Maxson relaxed back in his chair comfortably, “were there some personal questions you wished to ask me?”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - 

****

Piper clipped up the last photo to develop and smiled at the line of pictures hanging to dry. Crewe fixing the fence in the settlement. Lucky pulling supplies from her vertibird. Paladin Danse issuing orders to the group of soldiers. There were pictures of them smiling with their arms around eachother, flashing peace signs. Pictures of them with children and settlers from Jamaica Plain.

She smiled at the picture of the red maple tree copse. _Life finds a way._

Then she paused and sighed quietly at the picture she took of Gavin with his boyish grin. 

“Awe, Blue, why’d you have to be so charming?” She wrinkled her nose at the picture. 

She wondered if she’d see him again. A brief thought. Piper didn’t want to dwell too much on what could happen to him. She’d like to think that, if she never saw him again, he was somewhere with his brothers and sisters laughing it up and eating cookies.

Piper touched two fingers to the bottom corner of the picture and sighed again. She sat down on a little chair and got as comfortable as she could as she pulled her notebook off the counter. The space in her darkroom was cramped, so she hunched over her book on one crossed thigh and began writing in the dim red glow of the light above... 

 

_Cold steel, angry scowls, lousy hair cuts. All the touches I've come to expect from the Brotherhood. What I hadn’t expected was falling in love. I stepped onto the Brotherhood’s ship, the Prydwen, armed with a million questions and accusations aimed at the young tyrant and his soldiers. I had planned to expose him for what he really was. What I thought he was._  
  
  
  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

**\- - - - - EPILOGUE - - - - -**

Piper had sent her two full news articles out with trade caravans to distribute far and wide, not just in DC and surrounding areas. It had gone over well and she had actually got requests from outlying settlements for more news. Had the Brotherhood articles been the story of the century? Perhaps they were.

But Piper’s crowning achievement had been the book. 

The book in which she wrote about her self-discovery outside the wire with a group of soldiers who she would never forget. She wrote about how she had fallen in love, not with a man, but with a story and a way of life. With the people and camaraderie. 

Never in a million years did she ever think she’d write something so personal and meaningful as well as informative. And people ate it up. Piper had started out giving the books away because she didn’t think anyone would be interested in her story, but as demand grew, Nat talked her into charging a few caps for them. Materials weren’t free, after all. They’d made a nice sum of caps on those books over the months. 

Maybe, one day, she’d write another. 

It had been nearly a year since Piper had gone on her journey. She found herself longing for those times, every now and then. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with those soldiers, but it had felt like home. She could see the addictive appeal of joining the Brotherhood… Joining that family. 

On occasion, Piper would spot a soldier in DC. She would catch a glimpse of the fatigues and her heart would jump into her throat. Men with black hair and a tan t-shirt… They’d turn and it was never Gavin. She’d sigh and carry on as usual. Where was he stationed? Was he even in the CW anymore? Was he somewhere far away… Laughing and eating cookies…

Piper was sitting up in the stands at a table on the Taphouse patio this evening answering questions a small group of people were asking her about her book. _How about that?_ Her being the one answering questions. First time for everything.

A few guys had bought her beer. Generous. _Or something._ One such guy was sitting next to her now. The man was trying to go home with her and the things he was saying made Piper long for the blunt honesty that the soldiers spoke. 

She shrugged out from under his arm around her shoulders and it dropped to the back of her seat. “Look, buddy, I’m flattered but--”

“Would you like it if I maybe dressed up? We could play soldier…” He grinned.

Piper wrinkled her nose at him, “you lay down and I blow the hell out of you?”

“Exactly!” He laughed. 

Wow. Crewe would appreciate that one. 

“Not even gunna buy a girl dinner first, huh?” Piper shook her head and took a drink of beer to put distance between his face and hers. 

He eased off a little. “Sure, babe, what you like? Noodles? Nice brahmin steak? I’ll get ya whatever ya want.”

 _What I want is for you to go far, far away._

“My name’s not ‘babe’. Or ‘honey’ or ‘cutie pants’ or whatever the fuck else.” Piper bit her tongue to cut off a tirade. 

He put his hands up, “Woah, woah, I didn’t mean no disrespect. You’re cute is all and I wanna get to know you better.” 

She picked up a book from the table and handed it to him, “well there you go.”

He turned it over in his hands, glanced at it, then set it on the table again. Piper wondered if he could even read. 

A voice from the other side of the table broke Piper’s glare toward the man next to her.

“This seat taken?” 

She rolled her eyes and glanced up. Last thing she needed was another--

Gavin motioned to the seat next to her. The man in the seat, to be precise. Piper tried her hardest to hide her excitement, but the wide smile that spread over her face just couldn’t be suppressed. 

The man beside her crossed his arms, “yeah. It is.”

“I don’t think it is.” Gav’s little grin never faded, but he narrowed his eyes in such a way that the man eventually dropped his arms and stood up to slink away. 

Piper worked to remain cool. “Hey, Blue.”

“Hey, Pip.” He didn’t sit. Gavin held one of her books up, “so, I read this great book a few weeks ago… And I’m just dying to meet the author. Maybe… Get a signature.” 

A light blush washed over her cheeks. He had read her book. Well… Of course he did. But just the thought of it… She glanced down at the beer in her hands. 

“That so?” She looked up through her lashes at him, “you’d probably have to ask her really nicely.”

“Of course.” He tucked the book under one arm. “I was thinking maybe over dinner.”

Piper snorted softly, “field rations?”

“You know it.” He held a hand out to her and she took it and stood. “Cookies for dessert.”  
  


****

###  \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as it turns out, Piper DID end up writing another book. She wrote a book about Gavin and his time in the Great War. About Face spurred the writing of [_**White Hawk**_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8872537/chapters/20342059) which is a story of his personal life (backstory) that she finally got him to spill. Asking a soldier why they joined the military can, indeed, be very personal. For Gavin, it is extremely personal and not something he had ever told anyone.
> 
> \- - - - - - - - - - - 
> 
> Gav fell silent for a moment. “You really wanna know about my scars?”
> 
> She gave a slow nod, “tell me your story, Blue.”
> 
> He pulled away from her and sat back. Gavin was quiet for a while as he thought about it. He’d never told anyone about his scars. He had never told anyone anything about his time in the war. She asked him. Several times. She wanted to write a book about him. That seemed absurd.
> 
> His story wasn’t glamorous or exciting; It was full of nothing but heartache and pain, loss and sorrow. He mulled it over in his mind then cracked a little smile. Distant. There were some good times.


End file.
